The Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) are two separate EU border systems. The EES registers non-EU travellers on short stays at the external border itself, recording passport details, fingerprints, a facial image and the date and place of each entry and exit. It replaced passport stamping, applies whether or not the traveller needs a visa, requires no action before the trip, and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026.
ETIAS is a pre-travel online authorisation that visa-exempt visitors, such as US, UK and Canadian citizens, will have to obtain before visiting 30 European countries for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It is not a visa. As of October 2026, the European Commission says ETIAS is not yet in operation and no applications are being accepted; the EU will announce the start date several months before launch, and the fee has been set at EUR 20.
Source: European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: ETIAS (see also the Commission’s Entry/Exit System page)
Image: EES border control kiosks at the Port of Santander, Spain, by Puerto de Santander, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.